Phil Smith: I watched Sunderland's comfortable win and here are four key conclusions I drew

Sunderland returned to winning ways on Wednesday night with a crucial 2-0 win over Luton Town.

Phil Smith was there reporting for The Echo and here are his key conclusions from the game...

SUNDERLAND CEMENT THEIR TOP-SIX STATUS EVEN FURTHER

We are now quite rightly judging Sunderland by the standards they have set themselves this season, and so the vast majority of the discussions around the Championship table relate to their place in relation to the top two. That certainly was what framed the understandable disappointment around the home draws with Watford and Plymouth Argyle, in which Sunderland were below par compared to what we have seen for much of the campaign.

A glance at the table after this win over Luton Town reminds you, though, just how well they have done this season. The Black Cats have not only opened up a seventeen-point gap to seventh, but a fourteen-point gap to fifth. That's a hugely impressive achievement and a scenario that anyone of a Sunderland persuasion would have gladly accepted at the start of the campaign. Regardless of what happens at Leeds United and beyond, Sunderland will almost certainly reach April with a real shot at promotion. That's something to applaud.

LE BRIS GETS THE BIG CALLS RIGHT - BUT LUTON DELIVER ALARMING DISPLAY

This was a good night for Le Bris, whose key calls all came off. He resisted the urge to change shape, and the control of midfield Sunderland enjoyed as a result meant that Luton were never able to get up the pitch and bombard the box as they can do so effectively at their best. The decision to bring back Dan Ballard, a gutsy one given just how good Chris Mepham has been for so much of this campaign, also meant their long balls forward from deep never really made any impact.

Ballard was excellent and Sunderland dominant all over the pitch. It was a thoroughly deserved win, Sunderland's XG in the game 1.31 to Luton's paltry 0.31. Luton registered just four shots across the entire game, and only two from inside Sunderland's box. Both of those came from set-piece scenarios, underlining the level of control Sunderland had in open play.

As Le Bris said, his time produced a mature performance that deserved plenty of credit. There were strong performances all over the pitch, particularly down the right flank where Trai Hume and Patrick Roberts were in complete control of their respective battles. On the other side, Enzo Le Fée brought the 'x-factor' Sunderland need to get ahead. The only one criticism you could make is that Sunderland almost risked letting Luton back into the game by not fully taking advantage of their early dominance, Anthony Patterson saving well from a Carlton Morris header before the offside flag was raised. From there, though, Sunderland were in almost complete command of proceedings.

Sunderland will also know that they won't face many more obliging opponents between now and the end of the campaign. Luton seem to have lost the aggression and intensity that defined their climb to the Premier League, during which team they were persistently a nightmare of an opponent for the Black Cats. As such, their direct style looks muddled and the clarity in their game looks to have gone. On this showing, they'll need home advantage to pull through between now and the end of the campaign or they will be the first side since Sunderland themselves to suffer back-to-back relegations from the top to third tier.

PATRICK ROBERTS BACK TO HIS BEST AS IAN POVEDA MISSES A BIG OPPORTUNITY

After his longest cameo yet on Saturday, it looked as if this game would be a really big opportunity for Ian Poveda to push his claims further. Instead he was left out of the squad entirely, Le Bris revealing afterwards that he was unavailable due to an internal disciplinary matter. It's understood to be a minor one, and Le Bris confirmed that he'd likely be back in the squad on Monday. No significant harm done in the long run, then.

But Roberts took his chance to further cement his position as first-choice with a commanding performance across the 90 minutes. He was desperately unlucky not to get a goal or an assist, hitting the post with one effort and creating some excellent openings throughout. As is so often the case, he was involved in a goal without a direct contribution by being involved in the opener when he linked up with Trai Hume down the right. It was a strong performance at just the right time.

ENZO LE FEE MAKES AN IMPACT AGAIN

The only slight frustration you feel watching Enzo Le Fée play is that ideally you'd like to see him get even more touches of the ball, to be even more influential and to have more opportunities to pick passes. That may well come in time, with Romaine Mundle and Tommy Watson now close to a comeback. In the meantime, it's a boost for Le Bris that the Frenchman is clearly improving his rapport with Dennis Cirkin and Jobe Bellingham, and consistently finding ways to make his quality tell even if out of position.

Though Mundle could return to the squad, significant changes for that daunting but exciting trip to Leeds are unlikely and so it's encouraging to see Le Fée in such a good place. Sunderland will need him at his very best if they're to get a result.

Your next Sunderland read: Phil Smith's Sunderland player rating photos with three 8s after Luton Town win